Hosea 14:8 - The Fruit Is In Me
Step 1: Pray. Select.
As I sat down to pray, I felt an overwhelming sense of the Lord being present in everything. I love feeling like he is completely involved in my life and all the things that we call ‘lifeing.’
I began to search for scripture on the Lord observing us, growing us, and producing fruit that is pleasing to Him. I came across Hosea 14:8, which is where I decided to start my journey today, friends, so I moved on to Step 2.
Step 2: Write. Read. Circle
After reading the scripture three times, the following words stood out amongst the others:
“Ephraim shall say, ‘What have I to do anymore with idols?’
I have heard and observed him.
I am like a green cypress tree;
Your fruit is found in Me.”
Step 3: Re-Write
With a focus on the words I circled that stood out, here are the personalized sentence(s) that came alive in my heart.
Jennifer, Ephraim observed him, Your fruit is in Me.
If you are doing this alongside me today, add your name in front of your unique sentence so the Lord can speak directly to you.
Step 4: Visualize
As I begin to meditate on my sentence from the Holy Spirit, I start to picture a cypress tree on a microscopic level. I think about all the ways God uses the symbolism of the cypress tree in contrast to idolatry. He is ever-growing, never changing, strong, and valuable in comparison to idolatry, which takes and never provides any shelter, demanding more, leaving you in drought, and shifting power due to man’s insatiable appetite.
When I think of the DNA of a tree like the cypress, I think about how, inside each of us, multiple cells can grow in many directions depending on how we think and feel about our own existence. We can grow in an environment of worry, unworthiness, or other negative thoughts, which will eventually leave us desolate and hopeless. Or, if we keep our eyes on the fruit of the Spirit which lives within the Lord’s tree, our cells will develop into lush branches, trunks, and roots filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And the result of those spirit-filled cells multiplying and passing on to future generations, there will be good fruit pleasing to the Lord and His Kingdom in eternity.
In essence, the Holy Spirit wants me to know that by watering these delicate seeds inside of us all, there is no such thing as an idol. It does not exist. The Lord is asking us to focus on the seeds within us that reflect Him and His ways. If we do this, we will drown out and push out the seeds meant to harm our very existence and our children’s existence. The assignment is clear. The Holy Spirit is asking me to examine each moment, each experience, and each encounter in my day and ask myself, 'Does it align with the fruit of the Lord, or am I falling victim to a false idol?' Which cells inside my body are developing branches? Am I giving life, or am I giving death? I believe this is a prophetic warning: even in the most minor things, such as a cell or DNA, the results over time will either work for or against the Kingdom, ultimately determining our fate.
I have a question in my mind, so I proceed to Step 5.
Step 5: Ask. Seek
The requests/questions that came to mind are:
Holy Spirit, we are so busy examining everything on a large scale and processing vast amounts of information; how can we slow down to consider the power of a seed and the damage it can cause years after we leave this Earth?
Step 6: Hear. Write. Receive
Here is the answer I received:
”We must think in terms of how our Father describes even us. He knows every hair on our head is one of many examples of how the Lord, who is great and powerful, has made time to know even a hair upon your head. If he can do this, so can we. We must slow down and water everything around us. We must look at the God within all things. He is in there, even if it seems like the outside is rotten. Seek him and he will answer. He is working all things together for his good. There is not a living being or creature on the Earth that he did not think up or create. So look for him, and water his good seeds. It might be saying a word of encouragement. It could be in the exchange of a smile. Study Jesus and his compassion and wisdom. He is our living example of watering the good seeds even in seemingly bad or wicked people. People are not the issue, but watering bad seeds on the Earth causes tares to choke the wheat. Oh, but when the harvest comes, there is a sifting. And the tare falls to the threshing floor, and the wheat grain will prevail. In the sifting, there is gold. So stay close to the Lord, live by feeding off the fruit of the Spirit, and move forward, watering and honoring the goodness inside of you and your brothers and sisters.”
Step 7: Pray. Confirm
Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus.
Thank you for reminding me to water the good seeds inside of me and those around me.
Thank you for showing me the traits to model after and for sending Jesus to walk before us as a living example of how to pass on a legacy, producing strong cypresses for the future.
Let me continue to turn away from the flesh or coveting of the world, and stay close to you for protection and shelter.
Help me to continue focusing on a microscopic level, just as you do, making no excuses and meeting everyone on that level, just like you.
In Jesus' mighty name, I pray and seal this prayer with the blood of Jesus - Amen.
Step 8: Share. Testify
If you used the 8-Step Prayer Practice today, we would love to hear how God works in your life! You can comment below or share your miracle or testimony HERE.
Conclusion:
Friends, I love thinking about the potential for growth and nurturing the cells within each of us to become more like our Father.
Thank you, Holy Spirit, for your gift of prophecy, which enables us to care for generations to come.
Let’s move to understand the importance of legacy, even in the small things, every day, as we grow a beautiful future for generations long after we leave and inherit the Kingdom.
Lastly, there is good inside; we just have to look for the Lord in all things.
God bless you. See you soon!
